


Angel Of Music

by Topographical_Map_Of_Utah



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Corgi BB-8, First Kiss, Kyle Ron's a jerk, M/M, Mild Blood, Mutual Pining, Phantom of the Opera - Freeform, Smut, Theatre AU, Trans Poe Dameron, Vaginal Fingering, finn is so good, well first romantic kiss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-13 16:39:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10517682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Topographical_Map_Of_Utah/pseuds/Topographical_Map_Of_Utah
Summary: So basically Finn plays Erik, Poe plays Christine, and neither of them are much like their characters, seeing as Finn's an actual ray of sunshine and Poe's a guy.





	1. Chapter 1

"There. I say that's an improvement." Jess put down the makeup blender and took a step back, surveying Finn's face in the mirror. There was a bit of brain poking out of his exposed skull, and his cheekbone jutted out to reveal the muscle and bone beneath. A striking look, to say the least. Small wonder the Phantom wore a mask.

"You have to let the glue set, so don't put the mask on yet. And don't drink for a couple minutes. And-"

"And we've done this several hundred times, Jess. I know the drill." Finn laughed as he danced out of the makeup chair, startling a stagehand who was running past with the music box in her hands. That happened quite a bit, now that Finn thought about it. Maybe he should put his hood up before his face caused an accident. It must be weird having the Phantom wandering around in a pastel singlet and ripped jeans. 

After jumpscaring a couple more people Finn took advantage of the gap between makeup and wardrobe to take in the buzzing, surging energy that collected onstage before a show while the crew did pre-set, electric in the air. As the orchestra began warming up in the pit people started trickling into the theatre, more stagehands, lighting; Leia showed up with her director's briefcase full of production notes and her husband in tow. They had actually met on the very stage where Finn stood, years ago when the theatre was running _Grease_. There were a couple snapshots of the two of them in the costume department, and all Finn had to say about it was that Han had been wearing some very tight jeans.

After being kicked offstage with instructions from Leia to wake his co-star, Finn ran upstairs to find Poe taking a nap in his dressing room, as usual. Sprawled out with a paperback novel tented over his face and Babs, his funny little corgi, curled up against his stomach. She was pawing at Poe's flannel and eyeing Finn suspiciously as he looked around the room. Poe's closet was open, dresses and petticoats spilling out in a kaleidoscope of colour. Poe may be a wonderful soprano, but his organization skills left something to be desired.

As Finn tiptoed over Poe mumbled something in Spanish, not reacting when Finn loomed in uncomfortably close to his face. Or it would be uncomfortable if Finn hadn't french kissed the guy approximately eight hundred and thirty-two times in the past year, not counting rehearsals. He scooped up Babs and held her over Poe's nose, starting up one of the more purring, soothing songs in the Phantom's repertoire. 

_Wandering child, so lost, so helpless_  
_Yearning for my guidance..._

Poe mumbled the next line in his sleep and Finn smirked. Finishing lyrics to this show was a Pavlovian response at this point. No way to avoid doing it. As Finn kept singing Poe slowly began to wake up, but when he sat up all he got was a mouthful of corgi fur and Finn's distorted face an inch away from his nose. A rather rude awakening, if the garbled cursing meant anything. 

"Hi, angel." Finn laughed. Poe's eye twitched and Finn laughed again before dropping Babs on his chest and abruptly slamming the door behind him on his way out. He pressed his ear to the wood in anticipation, and a moment later he heard a muffled  _what the fuck_  from inside. Looked like his job here was done.

 

\-----------

 

 _Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation_  
_Darkness stirs and wakes imagination.  
Silently the senses abandon their defences..._

The alabaster mask gleamed white against Finn's skin, brooding shadows of brow and cheekbone flickering in the candlelight. Even if it wasn't in the script, Poe would have been standing like a statue, transfixed by the mysterious figure beckoning him into the fog.

 _Music of the Night_  called for him to be pliant, hypnotized by the man leading him across the stage, through a maze of silver mist and candlelight. Not the hardest part Poe had ever had to play. It didn't take a second thought, placing himself in Christine's shoes. Who wouldn't succumb to that voice that rose and fell like the sun, or the smile you could just make out on the side of his face not hidden by his mask? Finn's presence alone seemed to fill up the whole theatre. It was exaggerated for the stage, of course, but there was a hint of that power in even his most casual gaze or gesture. He could make standing at a bus stop look artful.

 _Let your soul take you where you long to be_  
_Only then, can you belong to me..._

Finn wrapped a possessive arm around Poe's neck as he sang the last line, the silken tones lilting right by his ear. Poe would complain about the ringing that would bring on, only Finn's voice was too damn lovely a sound. So Poe just sank a little deeper into his arms and closed his eyes as that voice washed over him like a wave. Angel of music indeed.

The night passed as any other evening: tearing away Finn's mask and feigning horror, giving Raoul cursory kisses that seemed passionate to the audience but had Poe rolling his eyes behind their lids. Ben was handsome, sure, but a real shit kisser. Half of Finn's face was prosthetic and he still did a better job. 

After the final moments of the show the lights blacked out, stagehands swarmed in from the wings, and Poe took Finn's hand when he emerged from his hiding spot behind the throne. All of the thundering applause from the audience fell away for a second as Finn looked up and smiled. As per their custom Poe pressed a friendly kiss to the top of his made-up head. A strange little ritual to cap off every run that Poe didn't feel comfortable without. Not to say the two of them were alone in their illusory peculiarities; theatre folk were a superstitious crowd as a whole.

After curtain call everyone filed offstage in twos and threes, laughing and trading water bottles. Poe flipped the front of his voluminous white dress over Finn's shoulder to steady himself on his way down the stairs. He had tripped down them a couple years back during _Wicked_ , and that was not a broken nose he wanted to relive.

Back in the dressing rooms the hairdresser took the wigs to be baked and set, and wardrobe carried away the costumes to be dusted off for the next night. When he was released from their grasp Poe threw on something that was probably clean and wandered over to Finn's dressing room, Babs trotting along at his heels. He usually wound up there after performances. Finn's tiny couch was cosier than Poe's, and at any rate, it was Finn's birthday and the poor guy didn't have family in the city to celebrate with. Made for lonely anniversaries. Poe was more than happy to help, though.

He got to the dressing room before Finn, owing to the fact that Poe didn't have to peel his damn face off. Nothing had changed, but Poe took a look around anyways. The musical score was open on Finn's desk, his notebook full of dashes and doodles sitting beside it. Also on the desk were a picture of his teacher, a drawing of the Phantom his baby cousin had lovingly scribbled, and a photo booth strip with him and his adopted sister. Rey was deployed in Syria last Poe had checked. She called every now and then, bright with questions and news from the literal front. 

"You've gained weight, Phoebe. Could barely lift you during _All I Ask Of You_." someone said suddenly, startling Poe out of his thoughts. The sneering voice behind him made him bristle, but he swallowed down his irritation and turned to face Ben, who was lounging uninvited on Finn's desk chair, eyeing Poe with that cold, entitled look he had. Poe knew that look far too well. In the past he had feared it, but now all it did was try his patience.

"Or maybe you have to start hitting the gym more. And it's Poe." Having to remind him again set Poe's teeth on edge. Ben was just in for their usual Raoul, but already he was putting some strain on the company due to the fact that he was a complete prick. No way to sugarcoat it. It didn't help that he and Poe had been an item back in university. Small world. 

"Sure. Y'know, your hair looked better long."

"Your mouth looked better shut." A stupid response, but Poe really didn't feel like putting any thought into it. He just wanted Ben gone. "Now fuck off, would you? I have...a date." he decided. In his mind's eye he pictured a date with Finn, but Ben didn't need to know that part.

"Wow, a date? And you say it with such conviction. You're a good actress, I'll give you that." Ben laughed. It wasn't an ugly sound. Only so many times it had been directed at Poe, that now it carried with it something mocking and cruel. Laced with it were all those adolescent digs at his weight, his face, the fact that his smile was kind of wonky. Stuff he had been told to laugh off; couldn't he see that Ben was just teasing him? He was just overreacting. Everyone treated their girlfriends like this.

Poe grit his teeth as he saw Ben out the door, relief making his fingers tremble. It seemed cruel that tomorrow he would be up on that stage again, pressing Ben to his chest when all he wanted was to hold Finn close; calling Finn a monster and trying not to let his eyes drift to where Ben stood downstage. Poe watched himself carefully in the mirror after pulling a hat down over his hair. Without the makeup and wigs and corsets he felt more like himself, like someone people would take seriously.

Most everyone Poe knew was onboard with his situation, but Ben seemed to find a perverse amusement surrounding the fact that all Poe could do to transition was cut his hair and change his name. The money was there, but it wasn't like he could just put himself on T at the drop of a hat. He had sort of built a career on the fact that his voice went high. Besides, this was enough for him, so it should be enough for everyone else.

Well, that put a damper on the evening. Poe leant back against the wall and sighed up at the cracking plaster. Two more weeks, then their usual Raoul would be back and things would be normal again.

"Poe?" Suddenly Finn's voice rang out from top of the stairs, thankfully jolting Poe out of his somber thoughts. Finn was really the antithesis of Ben, now that Poe thought about it. A light in the dark that just kept shining. "You decent?"

"No. Completely naked." he yelled back. Despite the warning Finn poked his head into the dressing room, grinning when Poe covered up his already clothed chest with his arms. "You perv."

"Sorry. I thought the Phantom had carried you off." Finn teased, a smile on his lips. But one look at Poe's expression made his face soften. It was uncanny how quickly Finn could read him. Then again, Poe had seen many a review pointing out their chemistry. If it was visible from the audience, then it was no wonder Finn always seemed to know what Poe needed from him. "You okay?" he asked, voice gentle.

"Aces." Poe lied. Finn raised an eyebrow and straightened, drumming his fingers on the doorway and nodding when he came up with something. Poe figured it would be an invitation to someplace cosy and quiet, but he didn't want to assume.

"Actually, let's skip the club." Finn proposed. "My place? I can make grilled cheese and dig up the Sauvignon that Rey bought on opening night. Could stick some chocolate chip cookies in the oven, too. How's that sound?" 

Wow, so they did know each other as well as Poe thought.

"You just read my fucking mind." he breathed. Finn smiled broadly and gave Poe's shoulder a squeeze before running back upstairs, Babs valiantly trying to keep up with him. There had been something in Finn's eyes, Poe thought. Something kind and warm and incredibly gentle. It was a look Poe had never had directed at him offstage. Onstage, though; onstage it was a look that came with soft blue lights and love songs, with proposals and grand, flourishing kisses. Onstage, it was a look as much as it was a promise. But before the tangent could extend itself Poe put it all out of his mind and ran up to meet Finn, cursing that foolish, sentimental part of him for being so naive.

Actors, he remembered. They were all just actors.

 

\-----------

 

While Poe showered and the smell of melting chocolate filled his apartment, Finn flipped through his marked up score, picturing exactly what was happening onstage during each scene. Often he tried to decide what his favourite song was, but he never could manage. It was like being told to pick a favourite child.  _The Point Of No Return_  was an interesting one. Rich with unspoken desires, flashes of bosom and petticoat and some rather intimate touching. The sexual tension that scene brought on did nothing for Finn's nerves.

Thankfully, that tension was dissipated then by  _Down Once More_ , which had him fussing over a bridal veil, fingers trembling on the translucent fabric. It was an interesting scene. The audience had to believe him mad, possessed by a spirit far different from an angel. Unhinged, thrusting a bouquet into Poe's arms, demanding his hand and voice. The Phantom danced from mysterious to vulnerable to charming to frantic to purely malicious, transforming from moment to moment, note to note.

A challenging role, but Finn was up for it. Plus, he looked fucking good in that mask. 

Suddenly the pipes stopped rattling and Babs ran over to the bathroom door, eager to see her master after just fifteen minutes without him. The poor guy had been splashed with rainwater and now his clothes were tumbling around in Finn's dryer. Finn had mentioned the fact in passing to Rey when she called a couple minutes back and she had nearly killed herself laughing, teasing Finn about the scandal of having your co-star naked in your apartment. Innocent in itself, but when you phrased it like that, of course it sounded weird.

Finn was still convincing himself that all this was innocent when Poe emerged with his wet hair curling against his forehead and one of Finn's university t-shirts hanging down to nearly the hem of his boxers. Oh, right, pants. So that's what Finn had forgotten to give him. But despite the glaringly obvious omission Poe sauntered confidently across the room with a jaunty whistle on his lips. The sight had Finn swallowing around the bowling ball that had appeared in his throat, legs crossing almost instinctively and a flush heating up his cheeks.

That sexual tension he had only just recovered from was back with a vengeance. 

 

\-------------

 

"Okay, now you tell me something you've never told anyone."

"Something..." Finn rested back against the couch and ran his fingers through Poe's curls, listening to the rain pouring outside while he thought. At some point Finn had wound up with Poe's head in his lap, Babs curled up at his feet, a half empty bottle of red wine sitting on the coffee table and a couple chocolate chip cookies left on their plates. Not how he had planned his evening, but Finn couldn't be happier.

"I'm scared of heights." he admitted after a moment. He had been ever since he took a pretty traumatic tumble back in middle school. He bet his front tooth was still embedded in one of the roots of that big pine at the foot of their yard. He had  _told_  Rey that branch looked flimsy.

"But you spend half your time in the rafters." Poe pointed out as Finn flipped down the collar of his shirt for him. Even though they had retrieved his flannel from the dryer, Poe had forgone pants and was still going about his business with nothing down below but his boxers. That was a distraction if Finn had ever seen one.

"Yeah. Didn't think of that when I got the part." Finn sighed. Poe threw his head back when he laughed and Finn found himself staring down at the smooth column of his throat, golden and lovely. "Your turn. Something you've never told anyone."

"Um..." Poe caught Finn's eye and shrugged. "I'm kinda drunk, so this is too much information, but I'm probably never gonna do hormones or get surgery or anything. Just that singing's such a big part of me, y'know? I can't risk my voice going through puberty or something going wrong with my chest. Besides, I'm happy as is. And I really shouldn't have to change anything about myself for other's sakes." He hovered a cookie over his half-full wine glass before deciding against it. "Besides, how hard is it to call me something different? Poe's a shorter name than Phoebe, too..."

"Really doesn't make sense." Finn agreed, looking down at Poe's body stretched out on the couch. What he lacked in height he made up with his squared shoulders and straight back. Pair that with his boyish, roguish grin, and even without any medical intervention he could pass as a younger man, Finn thought. Mid twenties, maybe. Handsome, too. Not that Finn had noticed. "People take a lot of convincing about things, sometimes. Can't just take our words for it." 

"Yeah. But how do _you_ know I'm a guy?"

"Because you say so. And I trust you." And because passing or not, Poe was Poe, and as far as Finn was concerned his word was as good as gold.

"God, you're wonderful." Poe said under his breath. Admittedly, the words made Finn's heart thump a little unevenly in his chest, a staccato cadence that wasn't about to settle down. "Now you tell me something."

"Something I've never told anyone?" Finn dragged a thumb over Poe's cheekbone and smiled at him, words he had never pictured himself saying ready on his lips. It seemed that Poe's bravery was contagious. "I really want to kiss you right now."

"Really?" Finn nodded and Poe visibly brightened. "Well. Be my guest." 

"Wrong musical."

"Shut up." Poe laughed as he sat up and pulled Finn close. This was far from their first kiss, but it wasn't hammed up for the audience, and it tasted like chocolate and wine rather than powder and plastic. Poe's lips were warm and Finn held him close for a long while, hands smoothing down his back, nearing his waistband. But before things progressed any further he pulled back and cupped Poe's chin.

"There anywhere I can't touch?" Poe shook his head almost desperately and scrambled to unbutton his flannel before Finn laughed and took over for his fumbling fingers. "Easy, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere."

"Sorry. Don't do this often." Poe admitted. 

"That's gonna change, believe me." Once his shirt was gone Finn unhooked Poe's sports bra and cupped his chest in his hands, massaging the warm, yielding skin and making Poe sigh. That probably felt nice after being strung up in corsets for the past several hours. He dipped his head and ran his tongue over one of Poe's nipples, feeling the soft skin pebble and stiffen accordingly. Poe moaned above him and Finn smiled. Clearly this had ceased to be a purely professional relationship.

"I'm gonna wash up, alright? You go lie down." he instructed after pressing one more kiss to Poe's chest. But instead of getting up, Poe just held out his hands and smiled. Ever obliging, Finn scooped him up, rolling his eyes when Poe barely contained a squeal. 

"Have I ever mentioned," Poe began as Finn carried him over to the bedroom. "That you are _incredibly_  strong? I'm not exactly the lightest man on the planet, and you're flinging me around like a ragdoll..." 

"I have to be. You faint an awful lot, y'know." He dropped Poe on the bed and smiled at him as he stepped into the ensuite, leaving the door open. "Now stay." 

"You're really bossy, y'know that?" Poe's voice carried from the bedroom and Finn stuck his tongue out at him in the mirror. Already he had stretched out indulgently on the rumpled sheets like a preening cat, complete with happily crinkled eyes. It made for a rather pretty picture, actually. Finn leant in the doorway and just took it all in while he dried his hands, then Poe whined and he laughed.  

"You really are a prima donna, aren't you?" Finn asked as he rolled onto the bed. After enduring a couple vengeful pinches and pulling off Poe's shorts Finn sat him down in his lap, chuckling when Poe grabbed his wrist and guided him down between his bare legs. As they kissed Finn stroked Poe's clit, slick gathering on his fingers, a clear indication of how badly Poe wanted this. Finn trailed his fingers through Poe's folds before slowly easing the tip of his middle finger inside, the wet, velvety warmth enough to make him smile against Poe's lips. 

"Fuck..." Poe gasped and went rigid, body clenching around Finn's searching finger. Finn slipped in a second and a moan wrenched itself out of Poe's chest, guttural and hungry and letting Finn know that maybe he was being a bit to careful. Well, if Poe wanted it rougher, Finn was more than capable of accommodating him. 

"Do you want me to go faster?" Poe managed to whine a garbled affirmative into his neck and Finn smiled, pushing in a third finger and meeting no resistance. "Take that as a yes..."

In moments Poe was helpless, breathing harshly and rutting against the heel of Finn's hand, desperate for the friction. Finn trailed his lips down from Poe's left ear to his nipple and started gently sucking it in time with the four fingers moving rhythmically inside him, a spike in stimulation that made him shake. "God, Finn-"

Finn hummed and kept working his fingers in and out, sinking in knuckle-deep and pulling away with wet pops that had Poe gasping into Finn's hair and scrabbling for purchase on his shoulders. There would be marks on his back, but Finn felt he could find it in himself to forgive Poe for that. 

"Tell me when." he whispered against Poe's chest, crooking his fingers just so. He could tell how close he was getting, though, from the way Poe's thighs trembled and twitched, the little _oh's_ that escaped his lips. It was only a matter of time, really. A tremor racked through Poe and Finn smiled knowingly. "What was that?"

"Coming-" Finn held Poe up so they were chest to chest, Poe's quaking body flushed and warm to the touch, trembling with the sparks flying under his skin. He grunted and collapsed in Finn's arms, whimpering when Finn shushed him, fingers still working slowly and slick dripping down the curve of his wrist. He would ask if Poe wanted to go again, but the poor man seemed kind of out of it. Best then to just tuck him in and hopefully continue this in the morning.

When he loosened up a minute later Finn eased his hand out from between Poe's legs, looking appreciatively at the come strung between his fingertips before popping them into his mouth. The sharp tartness tingled delightfully on his tongue, salty-sweet. He made a show of licking them clean for Poe's benefit, smiling around his mouthful. Poe still looked woozy, but a broad, lopsided grin was starting to spread across his glowing face. What Finn wouldn't give to see that smile every day for the rest of his life.

"Hi, angel." Finn said softly, well aware of how cheesy a line that was. Poe's breathless laugh was music to his ears, sweet as those impossible high notes he somehow managed to hit night after night. "You okay?"

"Mm." Poe nuzzled against Finn's sticky palm and laughed, pressing fluttering kisses to his wrist. "You're very, _very_ good at this."

"You flatter me." Finn rolled Poe down onto his back and pressed another kiss to his cheek before pulling up the blankets and closing his eyes, Poe snuggling close to his chest. He wasn't quite sure, but he was pretty sure tonight had brought up their total to at least nine hundred kisses. A weird starting tally for a relationship, but Finn wasn't about to complain.


	2. Chapter 2

A teakettle squealed in the other room and Poe dragged one eye open, wincing when his head throbbed in protest. Aside from that little hiccup his whole body was warm and pleasantly sore, wrapped up in thick blankets that smelled like dryer sheets and a familiar cologne he couldn't quite place. To add to the mystery the air above his head was rich with the scent of scrambled eggs and the sizzling sound of bacon crisping on the stove. So aside from the dog nuzzling against his head, this was nothing like Poe's usual wakeup. 

"Hi, Babs." he gave her ear a scratch and peered warily around the bedroom, blinking through his hangover at the sheer blue curtains and picture frames cluttering up the walls and desk. Still getting a read on the situation, Poe lifted the blankets to find a hickey proudly displayed on the left side of his chest, suspiciously close to his nipple. Now that was a fun little discovery. "This ain't Kansas."

"You wake up and the first thing out of your mouth is a theatre reference." someone sighed, their heavy footfalls making the floorboards creak. All hesitation went up in smoke as the bed dipped beside him and Poe turned in time to catch his lips on Finn's easy smile, bringing up a hand to cup his unshaven cheek. Oh, right. Now he remembered last night.

"I'm on Broadway and my dog's named after Barbra Streisand. What the fuck did you expect?"

"Hello to you too." Laughing, Finn threw back the blankets and pulled Poe up into his lap, running his stove-warmed hands over his thighs like he already knew his way around down there. That actually might explain why Poe was completely naked. He had been wondering about that. "Sleep alright?"

"Mm. You have a nice bed. Can I spend more time in it?"

"Smooth move, Dameron." Finn tapped Poe's butt and grinned when he drooped forwards to nuzzle their foreheads together. Already affection came far too easily between them, natural as drawing breath. To be fair, they had quite a bit of practice. You got quite used to touching someone after having to kiss them sixteen times a week. Poe had a feeling that number was going to skyrocket, though.

After another minute of languid kisses Finn kicked Poe out of his lap, laughing when he strained to maintain contact. "Easy there, angel. Hate to tell you this, but we can't stay in bed all day. Besides, I made breakfast. Should help clear your head. Pants are optional, by the way." That friendly suggestion was thrown out casually enough as Poe sat up and stretched, a line of frosty sunlight outlining the soft curves of his profile. "Thought you'd like to know."

"Is that for your benefit or mine?" Poe pulled on an oversized Mickey Mouse t-shirt he found at the foot of the bed and toddled after Finn with Babs in tow, arms wrapped around Finn’s neck and chest pressed up against the warmth of his back. It was very tempting to just have Finn carry him piggyback, but he couldn't risk giving the Phantom a hernia.

"Both, I like to think. I'm not about to complain about having a half-naked boyfriend wandering around my apartment. "

"That a fact?" After a moment's deliberation Poe threw his worries to the wind and hopped onto Finn's back, giggling when Finn reached back and held him steady with only minor complaints. It was his prerogative, Poe figured, seeing as they were boyfriends and all. He mouthed the word into Finn’s neck and smiled. Boyfriends. What a concept. 

\-----------

"Here?"

"Yeah. Right-" Panting, Poe tightened his grip on the squishy blue throw pillow Finn had stuck under his neck about half an hour ago, legs starting to tremble around Finn's head as the pressure on his clit increased. "Oh..."

Finn laughed, making the couch squeak underneath him and Poe’s body twitch against his lips, pulsing and shaking in desperate relief. Poe cried out and Finn dug his fingers into Poe’s softly rounded thighs as he came for what had to be the fifth time that day. A rather respectable number, in Finn's estimation.

While Poe eased down from it Finn licked the slick off of his lips and glanced at the clock on the far wall, wondering if they could fit in a trip to the grocery store before having to go back to the theatre. Aside from the addition of sex and nudity, the day had been spent as mundanely as every other time Poe had wound up in Finn's apartment after a performance. Actually, he came over so often that there were a couple bags of dog food in his cupboards for Babs.

"You're a fucking prodigy." Poe breathed when his voice came back, reaching down to caress Finn’s cheek. "Christ, what aren't you good at?"

"Lots of things. Can't snap, for one." Finn admitted as he nuzzled his head under Poe's shirt and kissed his way upwards. Poe rolled his eyes and hiked up the hem to reveal Finn's smiling face. "It's a problem." 

"You can't what?” Sheepish, Finn pressed his thumb and middle finger together, but couldn't manage to make much of a sound. "How the hell are you on Broadway?" 

"I've got no clue." 

"At least you've got other things going for you. You're good at this, for a guy your age. So when'd you flunk outta Starfleet?" Finn puffed up his cheeks and rested his chin on Poe's stomach, settling down as though remembering when he had first done the deed might take awhile. "I love that you have to think about it."

"Can't help that I'm popular. Gimme a sec..." A moment's pause while Poe whistled the appropriate line from _Wicked_ , then Finn laughed and shot him a grin. "Wait, I know. Eighteen. Nederlander Theatre. Lost it in the mezzanine after opening night."

"You're kidding."

"Oh yeah? There's a couple newsies who can vouch for me."  

"Of course there are..." Poe shook his head in feigned disapproval before meeting Finn's expectant, hopeful eyes. "Why're you looking at me like that? I don't have any stories. Never had a chance to get any good at it. I've got one ex to my name, and he just expected me to lie there." And let out the occasional dispassionate moan, but Finn didn't need to know that part.

“Doesn’t sound like much fun. At least tell me he was good at it.”

“No such luck.” Poe admitted. With Ben, there hadn’t been much talking or nuzzling or kissing, if any at all. It had all been driven by Ben's demands and desires and urges, by what he claimed were his needs. Poe had just been there to accommodate him. Strange, really, that in the four years they were together Poe had been pushed against walls, bent over tables, hiked up in doorways even, but he couldn’t recall a moment when he had incited it, when his pleasure had been in mind. 

Usually, it had been like he wasn't even there.

While Poe mulled that over Finn nuzzled up against his chest with a sympathetic sigh, as though he knew just what was going on in Poe's mind. What had made him so kind and warm and generous, Poe wasn't sure. It was the type of generosity possessed by someone who understood what it was like not having anything to give. And now that he was in a position to give, he was more than willing to give it all. Poe only hoped he was reciprocating enough.

"Earth to Dameron." Finn mumbled, voice muffled under Poe's shirt. He had burrowed underneath it again and was sucking kisses on his nipples and the cushiony flesh around them. He seemed to have a thing for those, not that Poe was complaining. "You want to get lunch?"

"Sounds good." While Finn untangled himself Poe pat him on the head and smiled. Hopefully picking up the cheque on lunch would convey at least a bit of his gratitude.

 

\-----------

“I say we get a gallon tub of ice cream. Neapolitan, ‘cause you’ve got three flavours in one. So you can take the vanilla, I get the strawberry, and then we just need someone who likes chocolate. Then we’re set.”

“I could invite Poe.” Finn offered, carefully adjusting himself on the couch and grinning at Rey’s face, glowing a little bit blue on his phone. It had been an hour or so, but they still were nowhere near done talking to each other. After all, they spent their sporadic calls planning Rey’s homecoming, which Finn was looking forward to for obvious reasons. Sporadic, because their pre-determined contact times had been thrown out the window within three months of her deployment. Finn tried not to mind how wild her schedule was, he really did. But it was hard not knowing whether or not his sister was okay.

"You're being awful quiet." Rey pointed out suddenly. Finn put his finger to his lips and tilted his phone down, smiling when he heard Rey giggle. Babs was curled up on Poe, who was napping on Finn, who had been close to dozing off himself when Rey called. A rather cosy setup, really. Add some snow falling outside and the scene would belong in a Hallmark movie. Only with fewer white people.

"Aw, that's adora- Wait, you didn't just drag him back to your lair under the theatre, did you?"

"Nah. Came out of his own free will, surprisingly." Finn felt a puff of air against his chest and looked down to find Poe squinting at him, bleary-eyed and soft with sleep. He ruffled Poe's hair and propped the phone up on his chest. Good thing he had put a shirt on. "Say hi."

"To who?" Poe went cross-eyed looking at the screen, then smirked when he managed to focus on Rey. ”Oh. Hey, corporal. Any developments?"

"Not much, really. Only they switched us back from the A1 models to standard 'cause of some factory fuck up. They'd only just issued them, too."

"Bummer. At least M4s are reliable. Do well in sand, so they've got that going for 'em."

"I liked the A1's ROF, though..."

And with that, their conversation dissolved into military jargon Finn had no hope of following. So he just squeezed Poe a little tighter and listened to the two of them chatter, understanding about as much as Babs, probably. He was dozing off again when Poe handed the phone back and rolled to his feet, padding over to the kitchen with a whistle on his lips. Finn eyed him as casually as possible, gaze drifting a little lower than may have been deemed appropriate.

"Yep, you're smitten." Rey laughed, taking due notice of his eye line. Suddenly there was a garbled voice offscreen and Rey straightened, the eyes she had inherited straight from Luke going dark and resolute. "I gotta go, Finn."

"But it's only been..." His eyes shot to the clock and he blinked when he realised they had been on for nearly two hours. They would have to be at the theatre, soon. "Oh."

"Yeah. Time flies, don't it?" Unfortunately, the attempt at lightness fell on deaf ears. When she saw Finn's expression Rey softened her face and smiled, reaching out as though to squeeze his shoulder. "Hey, it's just a few more months, right?"

"A few more months." Finn agreed. He blew her one more kiss and she winked, disconnecting before they could get caught up in talking to each other again. Then for a long moment Finn just looked at his screen, hoping against hope that she would call back. A few more months seemed like a long, long time.

\-----------

Another successful run under his belt, Poe hiked up his dress and made his way over to the throne, grabbing Finn's hand and pulling him behind the curtains while the audience was distracted with clapping and whistling. It had been a good crowd, tonight. It usually was, but this one had been especially enthusiastic.  

After their usual friendly forehead peck Poe wrapped his arms around Finn's neck and drew him into a proper kiss, laughing against Finn's lips when that raised a couple whistles from the surrounding cast and crew. Two weeks into this whole relationship thing, and still Poe couldn't quite believe his good luck. Finn was kind and warm and strong and funny and so, so gentle with him, and days spent at his side all ended far too soon. But tonight Poe was sleeping over again, so that ending was pushed back enough that he didn't give it any thought whatsoever.

That being the case, he was in an excellent mood by the time he bounced up to his dressing room, humming and reading snippets from the odd newspaper article tacked up in the stairwell. The walls around his door were covered in posters and pictures and old magazine covers, brightening the small space even as it became more cramped with drawings and plaques and the like. On the door, Babs even had her own nametag right above his own, which was nice. She was too short to see it, but it was still nice.

Once costume released him Poe flopped onto the couch in nothing but his boxers, rubbing the red corset marks on his bare chest and going over a line he had nearly flubbed during _Wandering Child_  while Babs napped at his feet. When he heard the footsteps on the stairs he didn't worry; people knew to knock. Aside from Finn, who got a free pass for obvious reasons. So a smile began to spread across his face when the doorknob clicked and the door swung open. Unfortunately, that smile didn't last long.

He slammed the score down on his torso to cover himself and glared at Ben, who was standing in the doorway in his ridiculously monochromatic outfit of a Metallica shirt and ripped jeans that had about three belts too many. Christ, the man was thirty-one and he looked like he shopped at Hot Topic.

"Huh. You're getting chubby again." That was the first thing out of Ben's mouth. Charming, really. Poe yanked on the hoodie slung over the back of his couch and zipped it up, his heart pounding beneath his hand. His skin prickled as though he had stuck his finger in an electric socket but he tried to ignore it, clenching his fists so he wouldn't outright deck the guy. He was a professional, after all.

"There's a thing called knocking, dickweed."

_Professional_ , he reminded himself.

"Why should I? Nothing I haven't seen before."

"Just 'cause I let you fuck me ten years ago doesn't mean you have a lifetime pass, pal. Fuck off." 

"Hm." Ben strolled in without consulting Poe, looking around at the pictures and accumulated trinkets like he owned the place. "Couldn't help but notice that you've been getting cosy with that glorified chorus boy, haven't you?" He gave Poe a once-over and smirked. "Never pegged you as a cougar." 

Ben's opinion of Finn was rather low, to say the least. The fact that they had both auditioned to play the Phantom probably had something to do with it. Poe didn't say anything and Ben went on, sick satisfaction in his voice. "He's just using you, y'know. Woman like you has to have some friends in high places. Having you on his side's gonna do wonders for his career..."

"Not a woman." Poe reminded him, getting to his feet and standing by the door. At that Ben's mouth tightened at the edges and his left eye twitched. That was something of a sore spot with him. Didn't like the reminder that he had been intimate with someone he considered to be a freak of nature. But there was something older in it too, old and ugly and awfully familiar. "Christ, you're not still mad about that, are you? We're done, Ben. It's over."

"Not for me, it isn't. I'll never forgive you for what you did to me, Phoebe." he said darkly. "If I have to, I will make your life a living hell. You know I can." He reached out to cup Poe's chin, but Poe swatted him away and took a step forwards, Babs growling around his ankles. "Just think of all the things I could tell that Phantom of yours. All the lies you told me, I wonder what he'd think of them."

"Tell him. He won't care." Poe growled and took another step towards Ben, almost uncomfortably close. Ben had the height advantage, but Poe had pure, unadulterated rage on his side. That would add about a foot to anyone, he wagered. "You don't scare me, Ben."

Ben snarled and stepped back, considering Poe for a moment before pushing past him and clattering  downstairs. When he heard the stage door slam shut a floor below him, Poe collapsed on the couch, burying his face in Babs' fur and trying to control his breathing, listening to the radiator whirring in the corner in an attempt to ground himself. He was more shaken than he cared to admit. Because he _had_ done awful things. Awful things he couldn't promise wouldn't happen again. He squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth. That was all over, he reminded himself. What had happened had happened, and there was nothing he could do to change it.

"You alright?" Another uninvited guest had appeared, only Poe had no objections to this one. Finn sat down beside him and Poe nodded, taking a deep breath when Finn wrapped an arm around him and squeezed, warm and comforting.

"Yeah. Just tired." Poe rested his cheek on Finn's shoulder and sighed. One more night, then Ben would be gone and Poe could breathe easy again.

It would be a hell of a long night, though.

\-----------

"Where the fuck is he?" Finn groaned against the wall. The faded bricks probably couldn't answer his question, but no harm in trying. "When I get my hands on him I swear to God..."

The theatre was currently in something of a sticky situation. They had two hours before they opened for Saturday night, a packed house, a couple critics, and no Ben in sight. As much as Finn disliked the guy, Raoul was a pretty big part of the production. He knocked his forehead against the wall again and groaned while Karé ranted at his side, stitching up a rent in the back of his cloak while precariously clutching a couple extra needles between her teeth.

"...No Raoul and no Christine. Well, that's just great. I hope y'all're ready to watch the _Phantom of The Opera_ , 'cause he's the only one who's here-" 

"Wait, what? Where's Poe?"

"Not in his dressing room, but beyond that I don't know. Now where d'you think you're going?" Karé spat out her needles as Finn straightened up and made his way towards the door. "Have fun finding 'em."

"Just Poe. Ben can go fuck himself, wherever he is..." Finn stalked off with his cape flourishing behind him in a black, glittering wave, almost bat-like. People generally got out of his way when he had it on, so that would hopefully make his search a little bit easier. It had a lot of presence, for a piece of fabric.

Seeing as the theatre was full to bursting with _Phantom_ paraphernalia, there were only so many places one could go to hide. The fire escape, the alley; then there was an isolated little nook behind the elephant set piece that Poe occasionally curled up in, owing to the proximity to the Wi-fi router and a heat vent that made the place smell like freshly washed sheets.  Sure enough, when Finn checked he found Poe sitting on the dusty floor, a hoodie thrown over his chorus girl costume and tears rolling down his cheeks. When he heard footsteps he tensed and tried to blink the tears out of his eyes, but he gave up on that when Finn crouched in front of him and took off his mask. Hard to be comforting with his face situation, but he could try.

“Hey, babe.” Poe's voice was croaky and he sucked on his water bottle in an attempt to calm down. "I'm a mess, aren't I?"

"It's not that bad. What's the matter?" Finn soothed. After taking a glance around and finding no one in the vicinity he pulled Poe into his lap and pressed a kiss to his neck. "Is it about Ben?"

"Yeah. Just...he just wants to fuck me up so bad and it's my fault he's doing all this. It's my fault. It's all my fault..."

"Hey, sweetheart, look at me. It's not your fault that he decided to be an asshole, alright?" Poe jerked away and Finn sighed. "What makes you think it's your fault?"

"Never told you this, but I kinda...ditched him at the altar. Nine years ago, I think? Showed up on Karé's doorstep crying and muddy and..." Poe trailed off and let Finn pat at his tears with the corner of his cape. Wardrobe would kill him for the stains that would leave, but he had other priorities at the moment. “And I ruined my dress, so there was that, too.”

"Bummer." 

"Only regret, really." Poe tilted his head back and sniffled up at the props suspended over their heads. "We were just gonna get married 'cause I thought I was pregnant. Turns out I wasn't, but he thinks I was lying on purpose so he would stay with me and that's not what happened. That's not what happened and..."

And suddenly Poe couldn't stop crying, tears rolling down his cheeks and forming dark splotches on his hoodie. He pushed Finn away and buried his face in his hands, angry, racking sobs making his whole body shake. "I thought I was. I thought I was. I wanted to be and I thought I was but I-"

Finn held him close and rocked him as he cried everything out, a flood of fear and guilt that he didn't know how to stem. So he just held Poe close and sang the first song that came to mind, sighing in relief when the verses seemed to soothe him, if only a little bit. 

 _I'm here, nothing can harm you_  
_ My words will warm and calm you... _

Voice cracking in his throat, Poe took a deep breath and whispered the next line into Finn's neck, sounding slow and broken but there. And right now, that was all Finn needed from him.

”It's okay, angel. You’ll be okay." He pulled away with one more kiss, thumbing gently over Poe's cheekbone and smiling. "If it was bothering you so much, why didn't you tell me?"

"Scared of what you'd think, I guess. Thought it might scare you off. Stupid, but..."

"But I could never hate you for something like this, alright? I swear." Poe nodded, which was encouraging. "Good. Feel better?" 

"Yeah. Thank you. But this doesn't fix our current dilemma, though..."

"Hey, I played Raoul a couple years ago. I could do both, y’know.” Poe managed a shaky smile and Finn pulled him to his feet, dusting off his shoulders and adjusting his hood. "It'd make _Final Lair_ a bit weird, but I think I can sing two parts at once."

"I don't see why not." Poe laughed softly. A proper laugh, this time, one that almost sounded like Poe. Satisfied, Finn scooped him up in a bridal carry and kissed him on the forehead, barely avoiding his mic. "You being Raoul might be fun, actually. I've always wanted us to sing _All I Ask Of You_ together..."

"That so?" Finn held him closer and smiled, singing softly against his temple. For the first time in a long while, he didn't give a damn about pitch or tempo or enunciation. This was just for the two of them, after all. So long as Poe could tell what he meant by it, Finn couldn't complain. 

 _Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime_  
_Say the word and I will follow you_  
_Share each day with me, each night, each morning_  
_Say you love me_

The last line Poe whispered into Finn's neck, tremulous and uncertain. "You know I do." Finn whispered back. He didn't even bother singing it, the words far too real to him. They continued to sing softly as he carried Poe back to the dressing rooms, their voices intermingling and echoing off of the shadowy drops and sandbags hanging far above their heads.

 _Anywhere you go, let me go too_  
_ Love me, that's all I ask of you..._


	3. Chapter 3

It took a bit of scrambling, seeing as Ben had been the alternate, but after cussing out her no-good son for awhile Leia called in a friend who had played Raoul a year or so before Finn’s time. There was another scramble to get him settled and into a costume, but they managed, somehow. All things considered, the night went very well. The only hiccup was kind of funny, actually. 

At some point during their embrace in the final scene, Finn's prosthetic lip detached itself and stuck obstinately to Poe's cheek. It looked like an alien leech out of a B-list horror movie. _Attack Of The Killer Silicone_ , maybe.  Before anyone could notice the mishap Poe quickly batted it away and pulled Finn in for the second kiss, giggling a little against his mouth. A real professional, this guy. It took all of the willpower Finn had to not pull him close and kiss him properly.

After the curtain dropped he found Poe's hand in the dark and let himself be led out of his hiding spot, listening to the applause with one ear but placing most of his focus on Poe, who had picked himself up and dusted himself off quicker than Finn could have after a breakdown. He wrapped Poe up in his arms and squeezed him tight as he could without crushing his costume, even though that didn't feel nearly tight enough. 

“I’m so proud of you.” he whispered in Poe’s ear. "I'm so, so proud of you."

"Babe, you're gonna make me cry again..." Poe complained, voice muffled in Finn's chest. Unapologetic, Finn pecked Poe on the cheek before letting himself be dragged off for curtain call. They didn't separate until the last possible second, and even then Finn peeked through the curtains to watch Poe take his last bow, smiling all the while. 

One more kiss after curtain call, then Poe ran to his dressing room and Finn started towards his, only to be pulled back by Jess, who was sporting a suspiciously conspiratorial grin. 

"Phantom, you got a second? Someone's here to see you."

"Really? Who..." Finn trailed off, staring at the girl being pointed out to him. She was standing at the end of the hall in fatigues, her pack sitting on the ground beside her and a sheath of pink roses in her arms. It looked like she had come straight from the airport, like she didn't even want to take the time to drop her stuff off before stepping into the theatre. 

"Rey..." She dropped the bouquet and ran up to him, leaping into his arms without hesitation. "Rey!"

Rey tried to say something garbled into his collar, then gave up and just let him rock her back and forth, clinging with arms and legs like a koala. Nearly a year, they hadn't been able to do this. Finn wasn't quite sure how he had survived that long.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Finn demanded. He was crying a little bit, even as he smiled into her neck. 

"I wanted to watch the show. You were incredible!" Rey pulled away and kissed his forehead, making a face when she got a mouthful of powder. "Wow. You're really painted.  I got ten days of R&R, so there's no rush to do anything. Staying with Jess, too, so you get the night to yourself."

"Alright. Tomorrow we're gonna go someplace, alright? Wherever you want. Come over in the afternoon and I'll make strawberry pancakes. You go rest now, okay?"

"Sounds good." Rey agreed, a smile on her freckled face. How badly Finn had missed that smile, a relic of their childhood that had never stopped shining. “Hey, Finn?"

"Mm?"

"You have to put me down, first."

 

\--------------

 

Between Rey and Poe and the fact that Ben was out of his life for good, Finn was having a very pleasant evening. The fact that it would probably end with Poe being naked in his bed made it even better. Still floating on that happy little cloud, Finn skipped downstairs, but paused when he saw Babs whimpering at the door to the alleyway, scratching and whining like her life depended on it. Finn had a feeling his good mood wasn't going to last much longer.

"Where's your dad, Babs?" She yipped and butted her nose urgently against the door, which wasn't really encouraging. "Okay, okay. I'll go check. Don't worry, he's probably fine..." 

Finn slipped outside before Babs could follow him, running out into the alleyway behind the theatre and blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dark.  _Fine_ didn't seem to be an apt descriptor for what he stumbled upon.

Down the lane there was an indistinct shape staggering out towards the street, clutching his head in his hands and leaving a trail of bright red on the concrete. Poe was yelling after him, voice hoarse with tears and blood and the cold night air. Any other place it would have been a scene, but New York was desensitized to this sort of thing.  

"Get the fuck away from me, Ben. Just get the fuck away from me-"

"Fucking bitch, I'll fucking kill you-" 

"Motherfucker-"

"Freak. You're a fucking freak."

As much as Finn would have liked to see Poe kick Ben's face in, judging from he blood on the ground he had already done enough damage to make his point. Finn grabbed Poe's arms before he could go barreling down the alley, but that only made him struggle even more. 

"Poe, take it easy-" Growling, Poe jerked away from Finn and managed to stagger forwards a couple steps before crumpling to the ground, curling his bloodied fists on the cracking concrete and letting out a frustrated yell. "Hey, hey, sweetheart..."

“Finn, I can't...”

“Look at me, Poe. C’mon.” Poe snarled and shook his head, cursing and bleeding and wincing when Finn touched him. In a last ditch effort Finn sat back on his heels and got to his feet, sweeping the alley before turning back to find that Poe had flopped against the wall, chest heaving under his tank top. It seemed as though he had dropped everything to fight Ben in an alleyway. That was pretty true to form, actually.

"Look, he's gone. He's not gonna hurt you, okay? I’m not gonna hurt you.” Finn promised, voice soft. Tentative, Poe raised his head and blinked, trembling as the adrenaline worked itself out of his system. Aside from a black eye and bloody knuckles, he didn't look that bad. Finn pulled off his hoodie and draped it over Poe's shivering shoulders, sighing in relief when Poe took a deep breath and drooped forwards against his chest, clinging to Finn as best he could. That would get blood on his shirt, but oh well. "Tell me what to do, angel. Tell me how to help."

"I want to go home. I just want to go home...” 

"Alright. Up we go." Finn helped Poe up and pushed a bloody clump of hair away from his forehead. He didn't seem to be the source of all the blood, which was encouraging and concerning at the same time. Finn had a feeling Ben wouldn't be coming around again any time soon. "I'll get Babs and your coat then we'll go home. How's that sound?" Poe nodded and Finn gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Great. Just don't get into any more fights while I'm gone, alright?"

"No promises." Poe wiped his face and sniffled, but Finn caught the barest edge of a grin as he darted back into the theatre. It wasn't much, but he could work with it.

 

\--------------

 

"Wait, he broke Ben's arm?" Finn adjusted his phone between his ear and shoulder, trying not to spill the saucepan of simmering milk he was taking off of the stove. Babs was scampering around his ankles, watching him chop up a bar of the fanciest chocolate he had and clamouring innocently for a piece. If only she knew. Finn sated her with a spoonful of peanut butter and picked up his phone again, nodding absently as Leia ran him through filing a report, getting a lawyer, all the official stuff he had never really needed to think of.

The fact that Ben was her kid didn't seem to make much of an impact on how Leia went about this. Then again, over the past year or so she had sort of adopted Poe as a surrogate son. Probably to make up for the one she had given birth to, now that Finn thought about it.

 "Yeah, Poe's fine. But we might want to get his alternate on standby if his eye doesn't heal up tonight. Or we could go for the street fighter Christine look. I dunno, you're the director. Okay, I'll tell him in the morning. Thanks, Leia..." 

As soon as he hung up the bathroom door clicked down the hall and Babs ran up to meet Poe's tired, shuffling step. He hovered in the doorway, hair dripping wet and face a bit dazed. Finn held out his arms and smiled a little, encouraging Poe to hand over his towel and curl against him, take a couple deep breaths while Finn dried him off.

“Lemme see.” Poe tilted his face up for inspection, squirming when Finn cupped his chin in his hand. His right eye was still swollen and purple, the uninjured one puffy from crying. At the very least his nose didn’t seem to be broken, red as it was. He noticed Finn's furrowed brow and cracked the shadow of a grin. Not quite 100% yet, but getting there.

“Am I still pretty?” Poe croaked, letting Finn guide him to the bedroom.

“Gorgeous.” Finn assured him. He dressed Poe in one of his old hockey jerseys, tucking him in with bag of frozen peas pressed to his eye and a mug of special-occasion hot chocolate; the real kind you made in a saucepan with dark chocolate and vanilla bean. That seemed to perk him up a bit. And when Finn joined him under the covers he actually smiled.

“How d’you feel?” Finn asked as he dried Poe's hair. Poe peeked out from under the towel and grinned, smearing the whipped cream on his lips with the back of his hand.

“Better.”

"Good." While Poe settled against his chest Finn breathed in the barely tangible smell of him, hot lather and steam and lavender soap clinging to the smooth curve of his neck. The thick stench of blood was gone, thankfully, but there were still rusty flecks under his fingernails and an angry red tinge to his skin. “You wanna tell me about it or…”

"Not much to tell." Looking restless, Poe sat up with a resigned sigh, tracing lines between the freckles on Finn's neck. "Ben showed up drunk in my dressing room. I tried kicking him out but he just wasn't having it." Poe looked down at his bandaged knuckles and shrugged. "Gets kinda blurry, after that."

"I can imagine." Finn nodded and piled another blanket on top of him. Neither of them particularly felt like filling in the blanks. "We're gonna work it out, though. Don't worry."

"Alright." Poe watched Finn carefully before burrowing into his arms, fitting just right, matching the grooves and edges like they had been made with each other in mind. "Why're you so good to me?"

"I can think of a few reasons. Main one's 'cause I love you, but that's a given."

"Really?" Finn nodded and Poe shook his head in what seemed to be disbelief. "I can't believe I thought he was the best I'd ever get." he mumbled, his breaths warm on Finn's skin.

"Ben?" Poe nodded and Finn blinked in surprise. "Really?" 

“Really. Didn’t have much going for me, back in the day. Picture a pudgy freshman with a lisp and a curly bowl cut. No one else wanted me, and he seemed to, so I…” Poe pursed his lips, looking like his thoughts had drifted backwards in time, leaving him uncertain and disoriented. Then he shook his head and gave Finn's hand a squeeze. “Turns out I was wrong, and naive, and basically a sex toy to the guy but hey, that was okay ‘cause at least someone wanted me. Not exactly great groundwork for a healthy relationship, looking back on it...”

Finn nodded in agreement, not having much else to say. So he just wrapped Poe up even tighter and kissed him on the cheek, hoping that would be enough to reassure him.

"Hey, swelling's gone down already." Finn kissed Poe's eyebrow and smiled. "Hate to see what you did to Ben."

Thankfully, Poe actually laughed at that. "He ain't gonna be able to get by on his pretty face anymore, lemme tell you that..."

"That's my boy." Finn tucked the blankets tighter around Poe and squeezed him to his chest, smiling when Babs hopped up and curled up with them too. "Love you." he whispered, breath parting Poe's hair. He felt Poe smile against his neck, the curve of his lips warm and familiar. 

"Love you, too."

 

\-------------

 

Finn tilted his head back and sighed, lazily dragging one hand through Poe's curls and watching dust motes dance in the warm yellow sunlight above his head. He couldn't get up, because sometime in the night Poe had kicked off the sheets and draped himself over Finn's chest, but Finn didn't particularly mind. Poe was a lot better than a blanket. Besides, it gave him an excuse to lounge around in bed for another couple minutes.

Finn lay perfectly still while Poe woke himself up by dragging his forehead against the stubble on the underside of Finn's chin, like a cat on a scratching post. It looked like he had recovered from the night before. More than recovered, really, if those happy nuzzles meant anything.

"Morning." Finn smiled when Poe pulled away and flopped down onto his chest with a satisfied huff, eyes warm and lazy. There was still a dark ring under his right eye, but it was nothing a bit of concealer couldn't fix. "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah." Poe sat up and Finn pulled him into his lap, grinning when he brought along the quilt he was wrapped up in. After a moment of consideration Poe pressed his hands to Finn's chest and bit his lower lip, fingers twisting in the thin fabric of Finn's t-shirt. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Okay, so I was thinking-like, theoretically-of maybe, sort of..." Suddenly Poe was very interested in counting the threads fraying on the quilt draped around his shoulders. "Coming out, maybe?"

"Really?" Finn slipped his hands under Poe's shirt and smoothed over his hips, massaging the tensed muscles while Poe worked out just what he wanted to say. 

"Yeah. I mean, it's all well and good knowing that I'm the first guy like me to do this, but it doesn't mean much if no one comes afterwards. I can't help but think that there's some kid like me out there who's dreaming of this, who's hoping and praying and wishing and..." Poe tilted his head to the side and smiled shyly. "And you know what it's like being that kid, right?" 

"Yeah." Of course Finn knew. Those kids, they had passion and drive and nowhere to go, half the time. When Finn had asked about acting schools his high school counsellor had raised an eyebrow and directed him back to something a bit more respectable. With his grades and track record he could get anywhere, she had pointed out. Ivy League, MIT, whatever he wanted. 

Finn disregarded that advice and took the Juilliard final callback when it came, even though that meant missing the application deadline for every other school. He hadn't been sure what he would do if he didn't get in, but he had refused to consider that option. Finn ran his fingers through Poe's hair and smiled. That was a risk that had paid off, clearly.

"Oh, okay. Great. But would you still..." Poe swallowed thickly. "Would you still want to be with me? I mean, if everyone knew that I wasn't..."

"Hey." Finn cupped Poe's face in his hands, a smile spreading across his face and pride blooming in his chest. "You, Poe Dameron, will never cease to amaze me." he said honestly. Poe smiled and let Finn pull him back under the sheets, the warm rustling and their childish laughter getting all mixed up together in the soft morning sunlight slanting over their bed.   

 

\------------

 

"Okay, Shaun wants to know: Boxers or briefs?"

"Is that really a relevant question?" Finn asked without opening his eyes. Poe snorted above him and gave his head a pat before tossing the card to side. "Boxers."

"I can confirm that." Poe laughed, poking Finn in the cheek with the next card. The two of them had spent the past half hour thumbing through a stack of bright red cards for a Broadway  _Ask a Star_ interview. Finn hadn't been aware that he was a star, and that revelation made him a little bit uncomfortable. At least these interviews were casual affairs. Clearly, as at some point Finn wound up sprawled on the couch with his head in Poe's lap and his Phantom mask sitting lopsided on his face. He flipped over the card Poe had handed him and smiled. Not a bad spot, really.

"What's your favourite part about playing Christine? - asks Justine." 

"My favourite part? C'mon, Justine, don't make me choose. I dunno, I just love Christine to death. She's such a great, iconic character, so getting to play her is a dream come true, really. Also I get to see Finn in very tight pants eight times a week, so that's fun." Finn swatted his chest and Poe laughed. "Little perk, but it still has an impact, I say."

"Hm. Take it you're gonna miss me when I go to play Aaron Burr next month, huh?"

"I'll definitely miss seeing you in the Phantom pants. If you guys didn't know, Finn's leaving me for a founding father."

 "When you put it that way it just sounds weird. And quit being dramatic. I'll be a five minute walk away."

"Might as well be an ocean. Can't blame you for thirsting after Hamilton, though. Talk about a founding daddy." Finn choked on his water and Poe flipped over another card before anyone could dissect what he had just said. "Anyways..."

They moved on to the next card amidst a couple giggles from the assembled camera people and sound techies. Usually having an interview on a two show day would be hell, but having Poe beside him made for a far more pleasant experience. Finn took a moment to close his eyes and sigh against Poe's soft, warm chest while he picked a question. Beneath the thick flannel shirt Poe's heart sped up a little, fluttering against Finn's cheek like a baby bird. Finn nuzzled closer and smiled. Together for a year and a half, and he still couldn't believe his luck.

 "This next one's coming from Natalie. She wants to know what role we'd want to see each other play. Man, I love you for this question, Natalie. Lola. _Kinky Boots_. Finn could rock some fishnets." As though to confirm Poe's theory Finn stuck his leg straight up in the air and shot a saucy wink at the camera. "Ideal role, really."

"Glad you think so. Well, Poe's always singing _Don't Rain On My Parade_ in the shower, so I'm gonna go with Fanny Brice. God knows he loves Streisand."

"That I do. You read the next one."

"Bossy. So Mel's wondering if you're ever going to play - oh, nice wording here - a traditionally masculine role. Real official sounding, that..."

"Nah. I like all the pretty dresses." Poe said decisively. "Besides, can you picture a soprano Javert? Terrifying."

"I think you'd pull it off." Finn smiled, cuddling a bit closer. Poe had come out after the whole Ben fiasco blew over, which had entailed a big curtain call, lots of clapping, a couple tears. Finn had had one arm wrapped around Poe for the full six minutes, letting their Madame Giry explain why the name on the playbill had changed a couple letters. There had been a flurry of interviews and articles that had lasted about a month, then everything died down again and Finn and Poe settled comfortably into their usual schedules. At least, settled in Broadway terms. Finn had a sense that was a bit different from most people's settling.

"Thanks, babe." Poe looked at the next card and snorted. "Armaan wants to know if the Phantom makeup itches."

"Yes. It's like having an angry cat strapped to my face eight times a week. An angry, angry cat." Finn shuddered at the memory and wrapped his arms around Poe's waist to comfort himself. "You're reading the next one too, by the way. My eyes are tired." 

"Fine..." Finn watched Poe carefully as he flipped the card and started to read. "Oh, hey, this one's from another Finn. Hi, other Finn. So Finn wants to know..." 

Suddenly, Poe's voice cut off, leaving him slack-jawed and wide eyed. He blinked and squinted and stared at the card in his hands, lips moving with the words but no sound coming out. Finn eased back and sat up, trying to read the emotions flitting across Poe's face. They moved just a bit too quickly for him to get a clear read on, though. Then those familiar crinkles appeared in the corners of his eyes and Finn sighed in relief. Those were generally positive.

"I..." Poe turned ever so slowly and blinked at Finn, who had sat up and was holding out a ring, the side of his face that wasn't covered hopeful and bright. Poe pulled the mask off and stroked his cheek, the caress soft and curious as the first time they had kissed each other in rehearsals, what felt like centuries ago. 

"Poe," Finn began, voice soft as he could make it. "Will you marry me?"

The card and the question on it fell to the floor when Poe launched himself into Finn's arms, laughing and kissing him with abandon. Finn held him tight as he could with the way his arms were trembling, laughter bubbling up in his throat. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes! Yes yes yes. A million times yes." Poe pulled him into a proper kiss and Finn nearly toppled off of the couch, laughing when Poe held him steady and slipped the ring onto his finger, looking at it with bright eyes. The camera crew were all clapping and whistling, but as usual Finn only had eyes for Poe, watching his angel with a smile on his face. Poe caught him staring and dragged him into another hug. "I love you." he laughed into Finn's neck. Relieved, Finn closed his eyes and just squeezed Poe even tighter, safe knowing that he would never have to let go again.

**Author's Note:**

> I GOT PHANTOM AT THE OPERA TICKETS HECK YEAH IM READY


End file.
